By ALESHA CAPONE
PARAMEDICS attended more than 355 heroin-related emergencies in Brimbank across 12 months, according to new statistics.
Last week, Ambulance Victoria and the Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre released their annual report into drug and alcohol call-outs across 2011-2012.
The study showed Brimbank has retained its place as the fourth-highest municipality in Victoria for heroin call-outs, behind Yarra, Melbourne and Maribyrnong.
Brimbank had almost 180 call-outs for heroin-related attendances, more than 100 heroin-overdose call-outs and more than 75 ’other’ heroin-related attendances.
Ambulance crews were called to more than 275 alcohol-related emergencies in Brimbank during the same timeframe.
Out of the 670 drug attendances in Brimbank during 2011-2012, heroin accounted for more than 50 per cent.
Also in the period, there were more than 35 call-outs each for cannabis, amphetamines and anti-depressants.
There were 30 ambulance attendances for anti-psychotic drug incidents, more than 25 for crystal methamphetamine usage and 12 for GHB.
Well-known Melbourne youth-worker Les Twentyman said high unemployment, poverty, broken educations and dysfunctional families were contributing to the drug problems in Brimbank and Maribyrnong.
He said schools needed to be provided with counsellors for young people suffering from these issues, rather than expelling or suspending them.
“Kids were in Sunshine Court last year after they were expelled from school in Brimbank for being involved in a gang fight at a shopping centre where someone was seriously injured,” Mr Twentyman said.
“Now one of those kids is washed up, on ice, been kicked out a mental health place, knocked off his father’s car and now no-one knows where he is.
“There needs to be more treatment services for ice and heroin use.
“It is a very expensive habit to maintain, and this is what leads to crimes being committed, families breaking up and educations getting fragmented.”
Mr Twentyman also said amphetamines were the “biggest problem” in the West’s drug scene at the moment, with three unions contacting him in the past two weeks to express concerns about their workers using them to cope on long shifts in 24-hour businesses such as ship-building.
